Removable ventilated rib for shotguns



Jan. 20, 1959 R. J.- BERG 2,869,271

REMOVABLE VENTILATED RIB FOR SHOTGUNS Filed June 21, 1957 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS REMOVABLE VENTTLATED RIB FOR SHOTGUNS Richard J. Berg, Milwaukee, Wis. Application June 21, 1957, Serial No. 667,135

' 1 Claim. or. 4276) This invention relates to ventilated ribs for shotguns, and more particularly, to a sighting rib adapted for attachment to a completely conventional shotgun barrel not already providedwith such a rib, and adapted with equal facility for removal from said barrel whenever desired.

It is well known that when a shotgun is fired at closely spaced intervals over an extended period of time, the barrel tends to become heated to such an extent that heat waves rise therefrom. The heat waves interfere with proper sighting along the barrel, in that the object sighted through the heat waves tends to be distorted, and is im' parted a shimmering movement. Obviously, this interferes to a very substantial degree with proper sighting of a target.

Some shotguns are provided with permanently mounted ventilated ribs, said ribs being extended longitudinally of the barrel immediately above the same, and being spaced from the barrel for a substantial portion of the overall length of the rib. In such an instance, the ribs tend up break up the heat waves, and one sights along the top of a rib without interference from said heat waves. Further, the ribs themselves remain comparatively cool.

Shotguns are manufactured both with and without ribs, and one desiring a rib on his gun may therefore find it necessary that he purchase a shotgun having a sighting rib. Alternatively, he may find it necessary to replace the barrel of the shotgun already in his possession. In either event a considerable expense is involved.

In view of the above, it has been previously suggested to provide ribs in the form of attachments to barrels not integrally or otherwise permanently formed with ribs during the manufacture of the barrels. However, so far as is known, the ventilated ribs heretofore conceived have all involved permanent attachment of the same to the barrel, and in some instances may even require modification of the barrel for the specific purpose of per mitting the rib to be attached. In such an instance, of course, one is no longer able to transfer the rib to another barrel, once he has permanently attached the same to one barrel. Therefore, such devices have the disadvantage that they must be either wholly or partially left upon a particular barrel, once mounted thereon. Alternatively, a permanently mounted rib might be removed, but only with difiiculty and possible damage to or marring of the barrel.

In view of the above, the main object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved ventilating rib for' shotguns, designed to be completely removable, as a unitary assembly, from the shotgun barrel, and further designed to be attachable to the barrel with maximum ease and facility. The invention, thus, encompasses the idea of a wholly removable rib attachment for a previously conventional shotgun barrel, which attachment can be purchased separately from the barrel, can be swiftly attached thereto whenever desired, and can with equal swiftness and ease be removed from the barrel when it is desired to transfer the rib to another barrel or, alternatively, use the same barrel without a rib.

2,869,271 Patented Jan. 20, 1959 Another object is to so design the attachment that when removed from a barrel, it will leave no markings or disfigurements upon the barrel.

Another object is to provide a ventilating rib as. stated which will be characterized by its fixed, stable mounting upon the barrel, despite the completely and readily removable characteristic of the device.

Still another object is to provide a ventilated rib as stated which will be usable on shotguns of any of various types, as for example both slide action and automatic shotguns.

Still another object is to provide a ventilating rib which will be characterized by the relatively low cost thereof, in relation to the decided benefits to be obtained from the rib.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a shotgun equipped with a ventilating rib according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, on the same scale as Figure 1, taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the rib per se, on an enlarged scale, as seen from below.

Referring to the drawings in detail, designated gen erally at it is a shotgun of completely conventional design, including a barrel i2 and a slide or pump action assembly 14.

The ventilating rib 16 constituting the present invention extends fully from the front end or muzzle of the barrel to the magazine 17 of the shotgun. It includes an elongated rib member 18, having a flat top surface 19, and having a bottom surface spaced upwardly a short distance from the top surface of the barrel 12, over the major part of the length of the rib. The underside of the rib is formed, over the rest of the length thereof, with spacer blocks Zll, 22, and 2.4 respectively, constituting a forward block, an intermediate block, and a rear block.

The spacer blocks 20 and 24 have outer ends flush with the opposite extremities of rib member 18. The several blocks are all of elongated formation, and the rib memher and blocks are of coextensive width, with the rib member in width being slightly less than the outer diameter of the shotgun, the blocks having transversely concave under surfaces, the curvature of which corresponds to the curvature of the portion of the barrel on which said blocks seat, said under surfaces being designated at 26, 28, 3%) in the several figures of the drawing.

Carried by the respective spacer blocks are ring clamps 32, 34, 36 respectively, formed of relatively narrow, strong strap metal of a springable nature, although metal that does not have springable characteristics might be employed in some embodiments. The clamps are all identical, so the description of one will suffice for all.

Thus, the front clamp 32 has an arcuate body portion that extends in embracing relation to the shotgun barrel, throughout that portion of the circumference of the barrel that is not covered by the concave underside of block 20. This is shown in Figure 2, and as will be noted, clamp 32 has end portions 38, extending upwardly along opposite sides of the spacer block 20, and formed adjacent their upper extremities with openings countersunk to receive the heads of coaxially aligned screws 4%) that are threadedly engaged in outwardly opening, threaded recesses 41 formed in the side surfaces of the block 20.

By reason of this arrangement, it will be readily perceived that the entire rib can be secured to the shotgun barrel, merely by extension of the clamps about the barrel, after which the clamps are secured at both ends to the associated spacer blocks, by means of the screws 46).

The clamps are tensioned about thebarrel, thus clampably binding the several bloeks against-the top surface of the barrel, to securely affix the removable ventilated rib to the barrel in proper position for sighting along the rib. The rib is provided with a front bead sight 44, and at the front of the rib, there is formed in the underside of the front block 23 a longitudinal, down" -rdly opening groove, that opens upon the forward extremity of the rib, to accommodate the sight normally provided upon the shotgun barrel.

1 a. ltwill be apparentthat thecattachment or detachment of the rib; is avery easyoperation, involving no more than the threading or unthreadingof selected screws In fact, withthe removal of the barrel, the entire device could be slid longitudinally onto or off the barrel, so that the screws need merely be loosened slightly to permit the sliding action, after which they would be tightened when the rib is in its final position upon the barrel. The rib is thus completely removable and is transferable without risk of damage to or disfigurement of the barrel or of the rib. Therefore, the rib can be used on a barrel, and subsequently removed for use upon another barrel. Then again, the rib can be swiftly removed from a barrel whenever it is desired to use the gun without ventilated c ribs thereon.

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A ventilated rib for a shotgun barrel comprising an elongated rib member adapted to extend in overlying relation to the barrel, in a position spaced vertically upwardly from the top surface of the barrel; forward, intermediate, and rear spacer blocks integral with the underside of the rib member, the forward and rear blocks extending fully to the opposite extremities of the rib member and the intermediate block being disposed substantially medially between opposite ends of the rib member, said blocks being of elongated formation and having shallowly, transversely concaved undersides complementingthe curvature of the top surface of the barrel; and clamps carried by the respective spacer blocks, each clampyincluding an arcuate intermediate portion constituting a continuation of the arc of the transversely concave under surface of the associated 'block, whereby said 'under' surface may extend over part of the circumference of the barrel with the intermediate portion of the clamp extending through the remaining part of the barrel circumference,- straight end portions extending upwardly from the intermediate portions of the clamps along opposite sides of the associated block, and screws extending through the end portions and threadedly engaged in the opposite side surfaces of the associated block, the blocks projecting longitudinally of the rib member in opposite directions from their associated clamps, the transverse concavity of the under sides of the blocks being continuous over the full length of the blocks, each clamp being connected to its associated block by a pair of said screws, the screws of each clamp being coaxially aligned transversely of the clamp, the end portions of each clamp lying in face-to-face contact with the adjacent side surface of the block connected thereto, fully from the bottom edge ofthe block to the top surface of the rib member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENT S 1,496,852 Hussey June 10, 1924 1,582,063 McIntosh Apr. 27, 1926 2,566,207 Jacobs Aug. 18, 1951 

